Water Ratio For Drinking Water Purification

If your water source is uncertain, you should treat it first before drinking it.

One way to treat water for drinking is to add a small amount of Regular Bleach (chlorine). Here’s how much regular bleach to add:(details below)

One best way to purify water for drinking is to boil it for 1 minute.Once the water has reached a rolling boil, it has become safe to drink.

Note that if the water source had been contaminated with chemicals, boiling it or otherwise treating it will NOT assure that the chemical is removed.

Know your water source as best you can.

Another way to purify water is to use a small amount of Regular liquid bleach.

Use Regular household bleach, with the only ‘active’ ingredient ‘sodium hypochlorite’.

UPDATE: For many years Regular bleach contained a concentration of 5.25% – 6% sodium hypochlorite. Newer ‘Regular’ liquid bleach now contains a concentration of 8.25% sodium hypochlorite (about 30% more than the original bleach formula).

(I have listed both amounts below for your reference.)

Having recently determined how much bleach to add to a 50-gallon water tank to purify it for safe drinking, I’ve put together the following charts for your reference.

One way to remember for small quantities:

“You must be 21 to drink”

2 drops bleach per 1 quart water

Mix the following amount of bleach with water, and wait 30 minutes for it to work. The water should have just a ‘hint’ of chlorine smell.

Note: The initial chlorine level (ppm) will drop when interacting with water and organic contaminants (it’s doing it’s job). This may occur slowly or precipitously.

Note: If the water is cloudy, and if you still cannot smell any chlorine in the water after having let it sit for 30 minutes (there should be a hint of chlorine smell), the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) advises that you consider a 2nd round of treatment.

Note: According to the EPA, the maximum recommended ppm (parts per million) of chlorine bleach in drinking water is apparently 4 ppm.